Israel mulling sending protective vests, flak jackets to Ukraine — report

After long refusing to provide defensive equipment to Ukraine, Israel is reportedly again considering transferring protective vests and flak jackets to the beleaguered country.

Career officials in the Foreign Ministry have been pushing to send the protective equipment to Ukraine, arguing that it would be used only in a purely defensive capacity, including by people such as doctors or civilians, and thus would likely not pique Russia, Army Radio reported Wednesday.

The Foreign Ministry confirmed to the radio station that “the issue is currently under discussion.” A final decision on whether to send the equipment lies with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.

Jerusalem first weighed Ukrainian requests for some defensive equipment in March. More recently, devastating images coming out of the Kyiv suburb of Bucha have galvanized many countries against the Russian effort, and led to a marked change of tone for Israeli politicians.

Western leaders united in outrage when dozens of bodies were found on the streets and in mass graves in Bucha after Russian troops retreated from the devastated town, laying bare the horrors of a 40-day war that has killed thousands.

Ukraine and Western nations have accused Russian troops of war crimes, prompting vows of action at the International Criminal Court.

Israel has avoided aligning too closely with either side since Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24. It is one of the few countries that maintains relatively warm relations with both Ukraine, a fellow Western democracy, and Russia.

However, there appeared to be a shift in the rhetoric coming from Jerusalem regarding the situation in Ukraine in the wake of the reports of widespread civilian killings by the Russians. Lapid explicitly accused Russia of war crimes on Tuesday, in the strongest comments against Moscow yet by a top Israeli official.

“A large and powerful country has invaded a smaller neighbor without any justification. Once again, the ground is soaked with the blood of innocent civilians,” charged Lapid on a visit to Greece.

“The images and testimony from Ukraine are horrific. Russian forces committed war crimes against a defenseless civilian population. I strongly condemn these war crimes,” Lapid said in reference to the alleged atrocities committed in Bucha.

While Lapid has taken a clearer stance against Russia, condemning its actions in Ukraine on several occasions and vowing that Israel will not be used as a “route to bypass” sanctions on Russian oligarchs, Bennett has avoided blaming Russia, instead attempting to position himself as a mediator in the conflict.

On Tuesday, the prime minister condemned the killing of civilians in Bucha, but did not explicitly blame Russia or anyone else for the atrocities.

“We are shocked by the difficult pictures coming from Bucha, terrible scenes,” he said while visiting an army post in the West Bank.

Asked about the alleged mass killings of civilians by Russian forces, Bennett said, “We condemn them with all force.”

While Jerusalem might have somewhat shifted its tone to align more with Western powers, it has so far steadfastly declined to contribute to the Ukrainian military effort. Instead, Israel has sent a 100-ton humanitarian aid package to Ukraine and built a field hospital in the west of the country.

Visiting the field hospital on Monday, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said that his visit —  the first by an Israeli cabinet member to the war-torn country since the start of the Russian invasion — sends a message of Israel’s “solidarity with Ukraine in the face of a brutal Russian invasion and in the face of the massacres and war crimes that are being uncovered these days across the country.”

Israel has been reluctant to take sides in the battle so far, as it has attempted to project neutrality in the event that it could serve as a mediator between the two sides. Moscow controls the airspace over Syria, in which Israel operates to target Iranian proxies, and this is seen as a key reason for Israel’s careful comments on the war.

Kyiv has long asked for Israel to sell it defensive military equipment, including the Iron Dome air defense system, but so far has been rebuffed by Jerusalem. Ukraine has also requested cyber weaponry to use against Russia, including the NSO Group’s controversial Pegasus hacking software, according to Channel 12 news.